The U.S. State Department approved a $11.15 billion arms sale to Taiwan on Thursday, the largest of its kind, as the island nation grapples with mounting threats from China.
US Supports Taiwan Defense Under Law
The sale includes artillery systems, anti-tank missiles, and spare parts for helicopters and anti-ship missiles, and falls under Taiwan’s $40 billion supplemental defense budget unveiled by President Lai Ching-te in November.
It covers 82 HIMARS rocket artillery systems and associated equipment valued at $4.05 billion, along with 420 ATACMS missiles capable of striking targets up to 300 kilometers away, as well as unmanned surveillance systems and military software.
The package also includes 60 M109A7 self-propelled howitzer systems and related equipment valued at over $4 billion, along with Javelin and TOW anti-tank missiles worth more than $700 million.
Although the U.S. does not have a mutual defense treaty with Taiwan and is not legally required to defend it, the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act commits Washington to provide Taiwan with the defense equipment and services needed to help the island maintain adequate self-defense capabilities.
The arms sale comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S., China, and Taiwan. Earlier in December, President Donald Trump signed the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, a move that was met with praise from Taipei and objections from Beijing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian urged the U.S. to adhere to the one-China policy, avoid official engagement with Taiwan, and refrain from actions that could encourage Taiwan independence.
In November, the Chinese Foreign Ministry had remarked on the growing U.S.-Taiwan military ties as, “the Democratic Progressive Party’s plan of resisting reunification and seeking independence using armed forces is doomed to fail.”
China’s recent expansion of rare earth export controls is unlikely to affect Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, according to a previous report. Taiwan is home to the world’s largest contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:TSM), which manufactures most of the advanced semiconductors that are critical for AI technologies.
READ NEXT:
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Recent Comments